My Brother's Child
by akaeve
Summary: In season one NCIS Ducky mentions a nephew...he meets family he never knew he had.
1. Gwen

Jimmy appeared in the bullpen with a stranger. He looked about.

"Have you seen Agent Gibbs, it's just I met this girl at reception, not as in met as going out with met, as I'm happily married," turning to the brunette and smiling. "Security said she was looking for a Dr Mallard, and I know that he, that would be Dr Mallard, not Agent Gibbs," as Jimmy rolled his eyes and looked at Tony and Tim, "Is at the cardiac clinic this morning, for one of his bi-annual check-ups, and I know security know that we have a Dr. Mallard working here, it was just that Gwen, is looking for a Dr Mallard," Jimmy continued getting more tongue tied.

"Autopsy Gremlin, as Senior Agent in charge at the moment, I will look after Gwen," as Tony rose and walked round his desk to the woman whom he aged about 35 years, and wearing no wedding band, "Antony DiNozzo, but you can call me Tony," as he offered her his hand. "And that is my co-worker and partner, not partner in the romantic sense but my partner as partner in crime, Timothy McGee," Tony added pointing at Tim, who raised his hand and gave a little wave, as he looked Gwen up and down.

"Hi, hello," Gwen replied now, trying to untie her arm from her coat and shake Tony's hand, "Gwen Hall, pleased to meet you."

"You're not American," Tony began to say listening to the British accent.

"English, from London. I actually came over for a holiday and thought I would look Dr. Mallard up, but seeing that he has already had a heart attack I should maybe just go, I would hate to give my Great Uncle another attack," as Gwen turned almost colliding with Gibbs.

"Who are you?" Gibbs questioned trying not to spill his coffee over the woman.

"This is Gwen Hall and she is looking for her Great Uncle, Dr Mallard," Tony announced.

"Actually I'm Gwen Mallard but didn't want to say anything until I knew I had the right place," Gwen began to say.

"Where's Ducky?" Gibbs asked Jimmy.

"Hospital, for his cardiac check-up," came the reply.

"I could take Gwen for a coffee while we wait Ducky's return," Tony offered.

"No, DiNozzo, I'll take Gwen for a coffee and we will try and find a way of not giving Duks another attack. McGee check the conference room is free, I'll see about some coffee, and Jimmy, no word to Ducky." as Gibbs lead the woman away from the bullpen and towards the elevator.

"Damn I was so looking forward to finding more about her," Tony whispered as he made his way back to his desk.

-oOo-

"So Gwen," as Gibbs offered her a chair and placed a cup of coffee on the table, "You are Ducky's great niece. I remember him saying that he did have a nephew, but I never asked more, but you goin' to tell me the story?"

"My father Iain, was Donald's nephew. My grandfather, George was born 1919, to Mary and Donald's father they married just after the great war. George, my grandfather, Donald's half brother married Doreen Garvie, and they had a son Iain, he was born 1948."

"But Ducky's father, he married Victoria and what happened to Mary?" Gibbs asked.

"Sorry, Mary died in childbirth in 1928 and my great grandfather, that would be Donald's father married Victoria and their union produced Donald," Gwen continued.

"Your father Iain?"

"He died last year….heart attack," Gwen smiled, "Must be in the genes, as granddad went the same way. It was while mum and I were clearing out dad's effects we found a letter. Our lawyer confirmed a deposit box and well, when opened, we found copies of Mary's death certificate and a copy of Donald's birth certificate, among other family records."

"I remember Ducky saying once, when we were at a crime scene that, "the last time he had been that high up a ladder was hanging a piñata at his nephew's birthday party," it never really clicked," Gibbs now added, "And Iain never talked about his family? Your grandfather, did he not stay with his family?" Gibbs continued to ask.

"No, George was sort of adopted, by Mary's family, her brother. They were off farming stock, and a large family, 13 children and so just fitted in. I never did quite figure out if Donald actually met George, and I didn't know he had met my father. That would be interesting to find out how and where and when," Gwen continued as she heard Gibbs' cell ring.

"Yep Gibbs…..Ok maybe you could ask Ducky to come up the conference room," as he shut the call off, "That was Jimmy, he was saying Ducky was back."

"Why do you call him Ducky?" Gwen asked.

"Mallard…Duck, no idea Gwen, he was introduced to us as Ducky and it just stuck, maybe you could ask him," as they heard the door open and Dr. Mallard enter the room, Gibbs stood and watched as Ducky walk in before shutting the door behind himself.

"Jethro," Ducky said approaching the table where Gwen was sitting, "Jimmy said you needed to see me, is it my psychological profiling you require?" now looking at the woman.

"No Duks, but I think you should sit down," indicating that Ducky be seated, "May I introduce you to your great niece, Gwen Hall," as Gibbs watched the colour drain from the old man's face.

"Oh no, what have I done, please, not another heart attack," Gwen whispered as she rose.

"I am quite fine my dear, but yes you did give me quite a turn, but the Doctor says that my stents are in place and my health diet is now keeping me alive, but yes heart did miss a beat there, but….that would make you Iain's daughter, unless my brother had more children after Iain," Ducky questioned.

"No, I am an only child, but I do have two small children of my own, I have left them with their father for the afternoon, they are exploring the _Smithsonian Institution _after seeing the place in "Night at the Museum" they want to look for the cast, good to see they have an imagination."

"No ring on your finger my dear, I thought maybe divorced or not married."

"Allergy Dr. Mallard, but my husband Gordon says I can go shopping for new rings," as Gwen now looked at Ducky, "But I am so glad to have met up with you, and can I invite you out for dinner, to meet the family? I have so much I want to ask you. But I really must ask your nickname…Ducky?"

"Ah yes, it's an unfortunate one I picked up …as a lad during the Blitz. It wasn't as many people think, me being Mallard and there from Duck…Ducky…it was the East-end of London, the Cockneys instead of saying "you alright dear," they would say "Awe right Duks", and so it stuck especially when our name was Mallard."

"Sounds right, Dr Mallard," Gwen replied.

"Gwen, please call me Donald or Ducky and not Dr. Mallard, it is so much more informal," Ducky replied.

"Ducky I have so many questions I want to ask, and I suppose the first is when did you actually met my father?"

"Iain…it was 2 June 1953, the Coronation of the Queen," as Ducky leant back in the chair and began to relate the tale.

TBC


	2. Iain

"It was the beginning of a week of celebration, mother and my father, that would be Iain's grandfather were in Kenya, father having secured a posting with the FO, that would be the Foreign Office, when Britain had a full Commonwealth and Dependant States, I was at Eton, boarding. Father was older than mother, he had sort of swept her off her feet. I didn't realise until 1953 that I actually had a brother. It was my aunt Gertrude, she lived in the West Country, and was slightly strange and eccentric…..used to sit naked at the table. But she was my father's sister, and she knew of George….I never actually met George, it was almost as if he didn't want anything to do with me, but then again Gertrude was both our aunt," as Ducky began to look sad, "Where was I, oh yes, June 1953, I was 14 and had been sent on holiday to Gertrude's, the school being closed for the week to allow its pupils to celebrate, my parents didn't think I should travel to Kenya so my father asked his sister if she would take me, she was having a street party, lines had been drawn across the street between the lamp-posts and I was to hang bunting and lanterns. I remember Iain, cute lad, it was his birthday that week, the 2nd if I remember rightly, it was the same day as the Coronation, and I remember hanging a pinata up for him. He was accompanied by his mother, can't remember her name, but she was a frail looking woman, you must tell me what happened to her?" as Ducky continued talking.

"You have to remember that TV back in 1953 was not as it is today. The most popular size was a 14-inch screen, and of course no colour, it was black and white and what they called 405 lines, I am sure if you did look carefully you could see them," as he laughed at the memory. "Anyway, Gertrude had money and she had bought the TV set and so it was at 11 o'clock on that Tuesday morning, we settle down, the children all cross legged in our short trousers and watched the screen with fascination. But you were going to tell me of Doreen?"

"My grandmother, Doreen died of tuberculosis, in 1954, and Iain being only 6 years old went to live with her family, your brother having died in 1952 I believe, I'm sorry Ducky, he too was a victim of a heart attack.…we seem to be a very dysfunctional family. Iain never talked of his father or his mother; I suppose being so young memory didn't stay intact. "

Ducky looked at Gibbs who nodded, "My dear, we all seem dysfunctional, as family goes in NCIS," as he thought of Tony and his father, Tim and the Admiral, Ziva and her father, and of course Gibbs and Jackson, and not forgetting his very own father. "True Gwen, but he must have in later years wondered of his past."

"As I was growing up I used to ask dad of his family, he only said that his grandfather had remarried, my grandfather, his father, George had died young of a heart attack, before Doreen, they say she died of a broken heart but the death certificate said tuberculosis, that was one of the things that made Iain so vulnerable, in the 50's he would have been sent to an orphanage, but family again came to the rescue, this time Doreen's, and that would be why you never met your brother, he died young, and was probably away working, it said on his death certificate that he was a ships' stoker, which would make him Navy, probably Merchant," Gwen replied, looking at the old man wondering if she was going the right thing being here.

"Doreen's family? Where were they from?" Ducky now asked.

"They were from Liverpool, so I would say Merchant Navy. Iain was brought up in West Kirby, I believe, before he moved to London for the swinging sixties," as Gwen laughed.

"So Iain would have been about 16 years old, did he go himself?" Ducky enquired, "And I must say you are very knowledgeable in your family tree."

"That is where I have run out of trails. The next I have, are mother and Iain marrying, mother said he was in banking all his life, he was an accountant, but he did say once he went to King's College. His funeral didn't actually bring much, as we didn't get any of Doreen's family at the funeral….sorry we got a cousin, and an elderly gentleman. As I was saying it was only when we started to clear dads personal effects I found out more of his family."

"I wish I had taken more time to get to know him, but then again I was 14, and I really wanted to get back to Eton and my schooling," Ducky sighed thoughtfully.

"I'm sorry Ducky if I have brought back memories, good or bad but I just wanted to meet you," Gwen continued, "I think maybe I should just go."

"No my dear, that would only bring more regret. I am free tonight, so allow me to treat you and your family to dinner, that is, if you are free, and it will make an old man very happy," as Ducky now stood.

"I am sure Gordon and the children will be delighted, and yes we are free, but one question, the children being children and of a gruesome age, I am sure they would love a visit to your place of work," as Gwen now stood and looked at her great uncle.

"Ahh yes, your children may I ask their names?" Dr. Mallard now enquired.

"Of course, Vicky and Donald," Gwen laughed, "I never realised until I found the papers just how those names now mean something, I just liked."

"Now that is a coincidence," as Ducky winked to Gibbs, as he watched Ducky and Gwen walk arm in arm from the conference room.

The End (maybe)


End file.
